{"id":34174,"date":"2026-05-12T18:53:04","date_gmt":"2026-05-12T18:53:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/?p=34174"},"modified":"2026-05-12T18:53:04","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T18:53:04","slug":"haradas-disagreement-with-existing-methods","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/?p=34174","title":{"rendered":"Harada’s Disagreement with Existing Methods"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

**Katsuhiro Harada’s New Journey with VS Studio: A Mixed Blessing for Fighting Game Enthusiasts**<\/p>\n

In December, the realm of fighting games underwent a monumental change when Katsuhiro Harada, the legendary director of the *Tekken* series, declared his exit from Bandai Namco after many years steering one of the most revered franchises in the gaming world. His goodbye was sincere, eliciting an outpouring of support and well-wishes from fans. Now, the gaming community is reckoning with his new position as CEO and director of VS Studio, a fresh initiative under the SNK banner. This news has ignited both enthusiasm and apprehension among aficionados.<\/p>\n

At first blush, Harada’s shift to SNK\u2014the firm behind iconic games such as *King of Fighters* and *Fatal Fury*\u2014appears to be an ideal scenario for fans yearning for innovation and revitalization in the fighting game landscape. The prospect of establishing a formidable studio that could unite the legacies of both franchises fuels optimism for noteworthy advancements in gameplay and design.<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, a closer examination of SNK’s present circumstances dims this optimism. The company was acquired in 2022 by Electronic Gaming Development Company, associated with Mohammed bin Salman, the Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia. This acquisition is part of a larger strategy by the Saudi government aimed at improving its global image through investments in the gaming industry\u2014a move often referred to as \u201csportswashing.\u201d The Saudi regime, facing criticism over its human rights policies, has been actively acquiring stakes in various gaming firms, including prominent names like Electronic Arts and Capcom, and taking control of major cultural events such as the EVO fighting tournament.<\/p>\n

While the formation of VS Studio under Harada may signal a beacon of hope for creativity, it now bears the burden of its parent company’s contentious actions. The pressing question is: will this new studio leverage Harada’s expertise and vision, or will it be hindered by the limitations and directives of its corporate overlords?<\/p>\n

Additionally, the *Fatal Fury* franchise has displayed some concerning trends since the acquisition, including the incorporation of AI-generated components in its development and the surprising addition of high-profile personalities, such as soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo, as characters in the game\u2014choices that have baffled fans.<\/p>\n

As Harada embarks on this new chapter, the industry observes with expectant yet wary anticipation. The upcoming months will determine whether VS Studio can establish a unique identity, skillfully navigating the turbulent seas of corporate governance while providing the quality and innovation that fighting game enthusiasts desire.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

<\/div>\n

**Katsuhiro Harada’s New Journey with VS Studio: A Mixed Blessing for Fighting Game Enthusiasts**<\/p>\n

In December, the realm of fighting games underwent a monumental change when Katsuhiro Harada, the legendary director of the *Tekken* series, declared his exit from Bandai Namco after many years steering one of the most revered franchises in the gaming world. His goodbye was sincere, eliciting an outpouring of support and well-wishes from fans. Now, the gaming community is reckoning with his new position as CEO and director of VS Studio, a fresh initiative under the SNK banner. This news has ignited both enthusiasm and apprehension among aficionados.<\/p>\n

At first blush, Harada’s shift to SNK\u2014the firm behind iconic games such as *King of Fighters* and *Fatal Fury*\u2014appears to be an ideal scenario for fans yearning for innovation and revitalization in the fighting game landscape. The prospect of establishing a formidable studio that could unite the legacies of both franchises fuels optimism for noteworthy advancements in gameplay and design.<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, a closer examination of SNK’s present circumstances dims this optimism. The company was acquired in 2022 by Electronic Gaming Development Company, associated with Mohammed bin Salman, the Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia. This acquisition is part of a larger strategy by the Saudi government aimed at improving its global image through investments in the gaming industry\u2014a move often referred to as \u201csportswashing.\u201d The Saudi regime, facing criticism over its human rights policies, has been actively acquiring stakes in various gaming firms, including prominent names like Electronic Arts and Capcom, and taking control of major cultural events such as the EVO fighting tournament.<\/p>\n

While the formation of VS Studio under Harada may signal a beacon of hope for creativity, it now bears the burden of its parent company’s contentious actions. The pressing question is: will this new studio leverage Harada’s expertise and vision, or will it be hindered by the limitations and directives of its corporate overlords?<\/p>\n

Additionally, the *Fatal Fury* franchise has displayed some concerning trends since the acquisition, including the incorporation of AI-generated components in its development and the surprising addition of high-profile personalities, such as soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo, as characters in the game\u2014choices that have baffled fans.<\/p>\n

As Harada embarks on this new chapter, the industry observes with expectant yet wary anticipation. The upcoming months will determine whether VS Studio can establish a unique identity, skillfully navigating the turbulent seas of corporate governance while providing the quality and innovation that fighting game enthusiasts desire.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":34175,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"Default","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-34174","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34174","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=34174"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34174\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/34175"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=34174"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=34174"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=34174"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}